Community Group Questions: February 25th-March 2nd

Luke 4:22-30

22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away.
Questions: 
Doctrine - How we Think
  • Verse 22 mentions that the crowd “marveled” at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth”. Jay mentioned how this is a danger for all of us, that we look for entertainment in sermons. Listening externally vs listening internally. 
    • Does this mean we should come away with personal application from every sermon/piece of theological content we encounter?
    • What does listening internally look like? 
Worship - How we Feel
  • How does the concept of the crowd asking for signs resonate with our own desire for reassurance or evidence in our faith journeys? How can we navigate the tension between seeking signs and trusting in faith?
  • The gospel is for those, like the widow and Namaan, who finally find the bottom in their own ability to save themselves. The gospel of grace often involves:
    • Favor being extended to other people, that we see as less deserving,
    • The implication that we are not as deserving as we thought we were.
      • Why are these so difficult for the human heart to acknowledge, and embrace? Why do they stir up such a visceral reaction in our souls?
Application - What we Do
  • Discuss the reactions of the crowd when faced with the deeper implications of Jesus' message. In what ways does our own flesh respond when confronted with the reality of our sin, and how can we redirect that response towards repentance and growth?

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